Critical Skills

Welcome to the Critical Skills Blog, home to over a thousand human-generated articles—never AI—on topics that matter to continuous education. To find articles of interest, use the “Search” tab. Please feel free to comment, and please subscribe. All content on this site is free.

  • Excellent post and a good blog to visit if you are concerned about quality education in this country. More⇢

  • Excellent post . . . More⇢

  • When It Comes To Teaching “Critical Skills,” the Case Study RULES!

    Teaching the “Critical Skills” in an academic setting is challenging for an instructor but eminently effective in engaging students to communicate, analyze, and cooperate in a team approach toward reaching some sort of consensus. The teacher does not stand up in front of the class and lecture – and students… More⇢

  • Getting Ahead in the Corporate World – Old Advice vs New Advice!

    Things change over time, to be sure; but what about advice for a new MBA graduate regarding getting ahead in the corporate world NOW – as opposed to THEN. I dusted off some old speeches and articles from back in the mid 1980’s and early 1990’s regarding how to get… More⇢

  • What are 3 Traits That Successful People Share in Common?

    There are many sites that provide a focus on skills and traits that make people successful. One such site/blog is Dortha Hise Develops. Most recently a Dortha posted an answer to a question she received in her inbox from a high school student in Los Angeles: “In your opinion, what… More⇢

  • A Nation Without Skills (But Our Standardized Test Scores are OK!)

    Our schools focus on standardized testing which, for the most part, determine how adept students are in choosing among four possible “right answers” or “none of the above.” Now that has value! Or does it? Certainly our government thinks it does! Measurements in the form of standardized test scores are… More⇢

  • The Impact of Sequestration on Skill Training – Devastating

    “America’s economic future depends, at least in part, on the skills of its workforce. Although policymakers face difficult decisions, our nation must continue to invest in those skills to maintain our competitiveness in the global economy.” This is the first conclusion reached by the National Skills Coalition (NCS) which organizes… More⇢

  • When Giving A Speech – “Say A Few Words” (a “Communications Tip” . . . )

    This is a helpful “Communications” tip that I learned several years ago.  It concerns the challenge you face when called upon to speak extemporaneously. It’s a “blueprint,” of sorts – something easy to remember when you’re gathering your thoughts about what you are going to say. Then it leads you… More⇢

  • Some Tips On Time Management!

    Here are the results of an UNSCIENTIFIC survey of how effective people manage their time. Plan for tomorrow today. Near the end of the day, make a list of what you have to do tomorrow – hard things first. Delegate your tasks. That seems fine except for those to whom… More⇢

Meet Your Host – Charles Cranston Jett

Charles Cranston Jett is an author, civic educator, and Professional Certified Coach based in Chicago. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (Class of 1964) and Harvard Business School, he served during the Cold War aboard the nuclear submarine USS Ray (SSN 653), where his tactical innovations helped inspire Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan character. He developed the Field Studies methodology to teach “Critical Skills” and was endorsed by the Department of Labor in 1994. He is the author of six books, including Super Nuke!, hosts three podcasts, and writes across his Critical Skills Blog and Civic Sage platforms on history, leadership, and the health of the American republic. He and his wife, Dr. Nancy Church, co-host the Chicago Salons at Water Tower Residences.